


Maybe Next Time

by Gavinthecomputer



Category: GOT7
Genre: Amusement Parks, M/M, hot n sweaty lim jaebeom, lots of cursing because youngjae's a baddie in this one, summer fic in the winter yeehaw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 18:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17289146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavinthecomputer/pseuds/Gavinthecomputer
Summary: The smell of fried dough, rusty metal, and puke. That was Youngjae’s summer job at the amusement park. But the cute boy who worked at the haunted house made it a little more bearable. (Only a little, really. The job still sucked and Youngjae was in denial.)





	Maybe Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> yes, i'm back at it again. please enjoy this fic!   
> i was inspired to write this because i read the sweet comments on Control again and felt emo, so if you like my writing you're welcome you unintentionally guilt-tripped me :)

The smell of fried dough, rusty metal, and puke. That was Youngjae’s summer job at the amusement park. It was fucking disgusting. In his white and pink pinstriped uniform that matched his pink hair in an embarrassing fashion, the last place Youngjae wanted to be seen was at _Choi’s Funland_. But his uncle had insisted he would pay him extra because they were understaffed, and Youngjae was nothing if not a broke high schooler.

The only silver linings to this hell job were one, that his best friend Park Jinyoung worked at the milk bottle stand, right next to Youngjae who ran the prize booth, and two, that the guy who ran the haunted house right across from Youngjae was hot as hell. Yes, Youngjae stared at him for long amounts of time, but he never noticed… so it was all in good fun, right?

Jinyoung always blew the toy whistle he had stolen from the prize stand when _Hot Guy AKA Lim Jaebeom_ seemed to be getting suspicious of Youngjae’s stares. He had insisted that on a few occasions, Jaebeom had stared back, but Youngjae thought that was just a ploy so Jinyoung could watch Youngjae blush and embarrass himself over the idea that his crush was returned.

“I want that one!” a kid with ice cream all over his face screamed, right at Youngjae.

Youngjae plastered on a smile. “Which one?”

“The GIANT DRAGON.”

“It’s a fucking triceratops, but whatever,” Youngjae muttered, snatching the toy from the top of the rack. “That’ll be two thousand tickets.”

The boy’s eyes widened. “…Is this two-thousand?”

So then Youngjae ran the messy pile of cheap tickets through the counter. “It’s only seven-hundred. Sorry, sweetie.”

The kid’s bottom lip wobbled, and then he burst out into tears.

Youngjae glanced up and let out a slow breath, trying to retain patience. He got too many of _these types_ in one day. “Alright. Alright! Hey, hey! I’ll make a bet with you, kid.”

The crying _miraculously_ stopped. “What?” the kid asked, turning on the skepticism.

If Youngjae’s uncle knew how many of these shitty prizes he gave off for less that the ticket price he would wring his neck. Youngjae leaned down and cupped a hand over his mouth as if he were telling a big secret. “If you can get through the haunted house without screaming, and I mean _one single scream_ , I’ll give you the prize for seven hundred.”

The kid blinked. “How will you know I haven’t screamed?”

Youngjae blinked himself. “Uh… Well I guess I’d have to go with you…”

The kid nodded. “Perfect!”

Youngjae glanced over at Jaebeom, with his sweaty exposed arms and charming smile. “I’m fucked,” he murmured under his breath. “Yeah! Let’s go!”

He stumbled out from behind the booth and slammed down the closed sign, then shuffled across the dirt road to Jaebeom’s attraction, the kid dragging him with an eager, sweaty palm.

Youngjae puffed his cheeks in embarrassment as he handed over the two tokens for the haunted house.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Jaebeom asked in his smooth, sexy voi- Youngjae shook his head.

_Pull yourself together._

Youngjae coughed. “Um, I’m using my privilege to scam the system.” He slapped himself internally. _Damn you, you debate club loser,_ he chided himself.

Jaebeom chuckled and smiled at him. “I see. Please, don’t touch anything in the haunted house as nothing will touch you. If you are susceptible to seizures, we at _Choi’s Funland_ highly recommend that you refrain from this ride. Now, please, have a spooky time.”

Youngjae glanced at the kid. “Can you get seizures?”

“I don’t know what that is!”

“Good enough!” Youngjae declared, then fell in after the kid as the doors snapped shut behind them in a gush of steam.  

Okay, so Youngjae had yet to admit that he was a huge scaredy-cat, and he was definitely too busy screaming himself to even noticed if the kid had let out a shriek. He knew some of the people in the haunted house, and they were nice! He hadn’t realized his uncle had replaced them with demons! When they reached the light at the other end of the house, it was sweet relief. Youngjae fell to the ground in a heap of terror.

“I didn’t scream once, Mister! Can I get my dragon now?”

Youngjae dug his palms into his eyes. “I’m gonna have fucking nightmares for days.”

“My mom says that’s a bad word!” the kid screeched.

Youngjae groaned. “Please, shut up. You can have the damn toy.”

A hand appeared in front of his eyes. “Um, you need some help, dude?” Jaebeom. Shit. Well, there goes any chance he had.

“No, um, thanks.” Youngjae cringed. What was wrong with him? Did he turn into a socially inept blob because of one cute boy? Was he forced to suffer forever?

Youngjae got up and dusted off his uniform with an embarrassed huff. “Here, kid, let’s go get the _triceratops_.”

“What? It’s a _dragon_.”

“I can assure you it isn’t,” Youngjae said, unlocking the booth again and avoiding looking at Jaebeom, probably for the rest of eternity.

He shoved the kid’s toy at him and shooed him away, then jumped over the edge of the counter and ran to Jinyoung to tell him of his woes.

He missed the way Jaebeom’s gaze followed him as he ran away. Maybe next time, then.

\--

Youngjae had been transferred to the spinning-cup ride once his uncle realized he was giving away prizes. It might have been for the best, even if Youngjae would miss staring at Jaebeom in his boredom. He had stolen a pair of cheap earphones from the prize stand before he was kicked out, so he could still listen to music.

The ride workers wore a different outfit of blue and white pinstripes, and Youngjae thought it went much better with his now-fading bleached pink hair.

The summer heat burned down on his skin, making the pale tone burn a few shades darker. As a serial gamer who preferred internet cafes to fresh air, Youngjae wasn’t used to the pretty shade and bad tan lines, but he figured he would have to roll with it now that he didn’t have the shade of his booth.

A panicked looking figure pushed through the entering line to Youngjae, who had his music blasting and was sipping on a slushy. Jinyoung’s pink and out-of-breath face came into view. “Code red, my dumb bitch!”

Youngjae pulled out his earphones in a haste. “On what account?”

“Your favorite hottie and his douche-y friends just got in line. Figured I should warn you so you don’t die at the sight of Jaebeom in normal clothes and not these starchy uniforms,” he said, pulling at the collar as if to explain his point.

Youngjae’s face twisted. “Do I even look cute, or am I just a sweaty fucker?”

Jinyoung messed with his hair and smoothed his eyebrows. “I mean, at least you’ve got a cute beach tan? Makes your eyes look darker…”

Youngjae hoped that was a good thing. “Alright, fuck. I see them. Get out of here and, uh, thanks!”

The teacups filled up just as Jaebeom and his two friends, who Youngjae knew to be named Seungyoon and Jackson, reached the front of the line. Great, now he was stuck with them for the three minutes it took the teacup ride to run its course.

Youngjae glanced away and scratched his neck before sticking his earphones in and cranking up the volume.

A moment later one of them was pulled out of his ear. Youngjae looked up to see Jaebeom holding it. “You like _Def._?” he asked, his voice almost teasing. Youngjae thought he was being delusional.

“Uh… yeah? Do you?” that was probably a dumb fucking question considering he asked-

Jaebeom smiled. “Indeed, I do.”

His friends snickered, and Youngjae wondered if he was missing something. It was just a SoundCloud singer with a pretty voice, right?

“Actually, I know him, you could say.”

Youngjae shrugged. “Ok.”

Jaebeom seemed to blanch. “Um, anyway… Why’d you get moved to the teacups?”

“Because my uncle realized I was giving away his shitty, overpriced prizes for less than their retail value. Apparently, that makes me a _bad worker_.”

Jaebeom chuckled, and Youngjae wanted to fan himself. “How dare he.”

“I know, _right_? That asshole is already making me look stupid everyday in these uniforms that make me look like cotton candy gave birth to an ugly troll.”

“I wouldn’t say ugly,” Jaebeom murmured. It was so quiet Youngjae almost thought he was imagining it.

_BEEP._ The ride ended and Youngjae had to open the teacups and the gates.

“Please keep your limbs inside the vehicle and refrain from moving too much! If you feel sick wave your hand!” Youngjae squeaked out before opening the gates. He felt Jaebeom’s eyes burn into him before he turned away and got on the ride.

He texted Jinyoung after in a panic because maybe Youngjae was stupid and crazy, but it seemed like he had a chance. It just hadn’t been the right moment.

Maybe next time.

\--

When Youngjae’s mother saw the sun exposure he was getting she screamed at her brother until he moved Youngjae to a more shaded location. And, shit. He did a good job this time around.

Youngjae now worked at the Tunnel of Love which, inconveniently or conveniently, was right next to the haunted house. Youngjae now worked two feet away from Jaebeom. And even if he still blared his music in an effort to remain antisocial, Jaebeom was doing a damn good job at striking up conversation.

Youngjae wished he didn’t see the aggressive thumbs-ups and obscene gestures Jinyoung gave him whenever Jaebeom offered a song recommendation, and even occasionally to share his _AirPods,_ but life wasn’t perfect. (He had amazing taste in music, by the way. Of course he did.)

 Today, though, it was raining, and Jaebeom hadn’t showed up for work yet, which added to his misery. He also had to work both attractions with no extra pay. So, like, a shit day overall.

But then, but then! Jaebeom arrived with an umbrella, to cover Youngjae from the rain. He loomed over Youngjae with a smile, and said in his deep voice, “Did you miss me?”

“Yes!” Youngjae cried. “Yes, and I’m in love with you!”

Jaebeom swooped in for a kiss, dipping Youngjae back like he was Cinderella and-

“CHOI YOUNGJAE!” Jinyoung screamed from across the road, waking Youngjae up. Youngjae, who had been sleeping in the rain and letting his shitty fantasies run wild while he got soaked.

Youngjae glanced around. Why wasn’t the rain hitting him? He looked up and realized Jaebeom had arrived with an umbrella, so that wasn’t made up (he had to admit everything else in his fantasy was.) He was also asleep in his chair, and was leaning his head on Youngjae’s shoulder. Youngjae found it endearing, almost so endearing it made him upset. (But a good upset.) Youngjae glanced at his watch after noticing there was no one around. The park was closed early.

He glanced around in a panic, then tried to wake Jaebeom up. _Gently,_ because he was precious and really didn’t deserve to be disturbed ever in his life.

“Uh, Jaebeom,” Youngaje said, shaking his shoulder. “Please wake up… It’s time to go home.”

Jaebeom cracked an eye open, surprising Youngjae. “Only if it means going home with you,” he said in the greasiest tone possible.

Youngjae was at a loss. Should he blush, cringe, or squeal. His brain decided to make a strangled noise instead. “Umm…”

Jaebeom cracked a smile. “You’re cute, Choi. I was just kidding.”

Youngjae was only half relieved. “Right, of course. Ha-ha…”

“Unless you don’t want me to be,” he said with a wink.

Youngjae was pretty sure he was going to faint. “Sorry! Got to go!” he yelped, before jumping up and running off to Jinyoung, who could only slap Youngjae upside the head.

Maybe next time. (Please be next time, Youngjae couldn’t take much more of this.)

\--

On the last day of summer break and the last day of Youngjae’s summer job, he starts to feel some panic. Jaebeom’s blatant flirting hadn’t ceased, but it hadn’t progressed the way Youngjae hoped. Youngjae was going back to school without at least one date, so he was pretty sad, to say the least.

Jinyoung just gave Youngjae a pat on the back as he went to Tunnel of Love (yeah, Youngjae had managed to keep that job.)

As he shuffled into his seat, he opened SoundCloud. He was surprised to see Def. had posted a new song because he hadn’t in months. Youngjae jammed in his earphones and pressed play before closing his eyes and sinking low into his chair.

The lyrics were soft and sweet, which was unusual for Def., who seemed to deal with a lot of angst.

The song ended on a calm note, and as Youngjae was prepared to pull out his earphones and give it a like, Def. whispered into his ears _“So, what do you say?”_ Youngjae realized the song was called Let Me Take You Out, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for himself.

When Youngjae tucked away his phone he noticed Jaebeom was standing over him.

“What’cha listening to?” he asked in a cheerful voice.

“Oh… Def. posted a new song. I saw the notification and wanted to listen,” Youngjae said, glancing away.

Jaebeom sat in his chair and leaned close to Youngjae and whispered, “So, what do you say?”

Youngjae blinked. Blinked again. And then it hit him. “Wait a minute…”

Jaebeom smiled at him, his eyes turning into cute crescents that made Youngjae swoon. “I wrote it for you,” he said, turning shy and looking down at his hands. “I thought we could spend the last night of summer at the park… I got people to cover our shifts if, you know, you want to go on a date with me.”

Youngjae let out a ridiculous squeal. “Of course I do, holy shit! I’ve been waiting to see if you would make a move for ages and-“

“YOUNGJAE, YOUR DESPERATION IS SHOWING!” Jinyoung screamed from across the road, earning some looks from their fellow employees and families.

Youngjae blushed and gave Jinyoung an angry glare. “So… What time do you want to meet?” he asked with a little cough.

Jaebeom chuckled. “Let’s meet at seven.”

The night shift started at six, so that meant Youngjae would have an hour to prepare to end his summer the right way. Finally, when next time wasn’t an option, it didn’t need to be.

\--

Youngjae was lucky he had brought a cute outfit to change into after work. (He had been hoping to catch Jaebeom’s eye, if only one last time. But it seemed Jaebeom had a thing for starchy pinstripes.) With a Supreme t-shirt and skinny jeans, Youngjae thought he looked cute enough to overlook the faded, fried pink hair and anxiousness.

With shaky fingers, he waited for Jaebeom at the entrance to the park. It looked beautiful at night, the colorful lights and bright sounds lighting up the night sky. The kids and families seemed to have disappeared, leaving room for teens and young adults to run around and scream and sing at the top of their lungs to whatever summer jam was coming over the speakers. Youngjae thought there was something magical in it all, and it must have shown on his face because a flash came from his left. With fuzzy vision he looked over to see Jaebeom holding a little film camera, a charmed look in his eyes.

“What was that for?” Youngjae asked.

“I wanted a photo of you, to commemorate the summer. And you looked pretty.”

Youngjae blushed (maybe that was a side-effect of Lim Jaebeom.) “Where to first?”

Jaebeom shrugged. “Well, if we’re being as cheesy as possible I have to win you a prize. Especially because that’s why we met – the prize stand.”

“Why can’t I win _you_ a prize?” Youngjae said.

Jaebeom grinned. “Because I asked you out.”

Youngjae thought that was a shitty reason, but Jaebeom was cute and Youngjae didn’t really care anyway.

Besides, Youngjae ended up beating Jaebeom in every game anyway.

He clapped his hands and cheered as the new prize clerk handed over a giant pink teddy bear. Jaebeom said he wanted that one because it was the same color as Youngjae’s hair.

Youngjae bowed with a flourish before handing the bear over to Jaebeom, victorious. “I win. Here you go.”

Jaebeom took the bear, the pads of his fingers grazing Youngjae’s wrists. Youngjae felt shivers crawl up his arms. “Thank you. I guess you did win, huh?”

Youngjae shrugged. “What can I say? You suck at, like, all of these dumb fucking games.”

Jaebeom face flushed. “Well, uh, I-“

Youngjae rolled his eyes and grabbed Jaebeom’s hand to drag him off. “Where to next?”

“Well, clearly it has to be the teacups or the Tunnel of Love.”

Youngjae scoffed. “Teacups it is.”

The teacups may have creaked enough to be considered a safety hazard, and the other teens in their teacup may have kept ogling Jaebeom, but Youngjae couldn’t care less. He liked the look of Jaebeom’s eyes on him. He liked the way the rainbow lights around them spun into a blur, like the only thing that needed to be in focus anyway was Jaebeom. It gave Youngjae a warm feeling in his stomach.

So maybe the teacups made Youngjae a bit dizzy, but he still thought they were better than the grimy Tunnel of Love. Much better, if the way Jaebeom was smiling at him was any indication.

The pair wandered around the park, hand in hand as they went from ride to ride. Jaebeom hands were warm, not sweaty, and in Youngjae’s delusional teen mind it felt like a perfect fit.

Youngjae had no doubts in his mind that Jaebeom was a romantic after he decided to end the night on the Ferris wheel.

The carts groaned a bit as they got in and began to move them up. Because the night was full of clichés, they got stuck at the top of the wheel as it stuttered out.

Jaebeom snapped another picture of Youngjae as he looked out across the lights of the park, everything lit up and shiny. He glanced back at Jaebeom with an amused look. “What was the reason for that one?”

“I wanted to,” Jaebeom grinned.

Youngjae felt a bit sad. “It’s too bad. School’s starting again…”

Jaebeom shrugged. “It’s not like I won’t take you on another date, unless you don’t want me to.”

“Of course I want you to!” Youngjae cried. “But we don’t even go to the same school.”

Jaebeom blinked at him. Then his face twisted into a mischievous expression. “Are you sure about that?”

“Well, I feel like I would have noticed you, I mean come on- wait a minute,” he eyed Jaebeom again, and then felt stupid.

“Youngjae, we’re not in the same grade, but I’m the captain of the soccer team. You even come to our games to watch your friends.”

Youngjae buried his face in his hands. “I’m really fucking dumb, huh?”

Jaebeom peeled Youngjae’s hands away from his face. “Not really. I think I was the dumb one, not to make a move sooner.”

Youngjae didn’t fail to notice the hand Jaebeom left against his cheek. “You know, I think this is your moment,” Youngjae mumbled just as the worker shouted that the wheel was moving again.

And, because they both knew there was no point in waiting for a next time, Jaebeom leaned in to seal the deal.

(Youngjae was tempted to groan later on that Jaebeom was a perfect kisser. Because of course he was. He was totally perfect, and Youngjae was happy.)

**Author's Note:**

> Will i ever update When Disaster Strikes, who knows? I mean I even wrote an update for it a while ago, but I feel like I can't post anymore because that would get people interested in it and I doubt I'll ever finish it... Should I just delete it? Is anyone reading this? lol   
>  I hope you enjoyed this little fic, and go check out my other oneshot Control!   
> Comments and kudos appreciated. I love you all mwah ;)


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